Positive Effects of Mirtazapine

First of all let me say I've had 4 episodes of depression in my adult life (I'm now 62) and in between I'm a positive and fortunately very fit and healthy. When I fell I'll last time 2 years ago I was severely depressed within a short space of time. . I was put on mirtazapine fairly early on by GP with sleeping tabs a lso. I still only slept for 3hrs a night.

It took 4months to get a referral to a psychiatrist each day a live g he'll of total fear and hiding away and not wanting to do anything.

The psychiatrist treated me in his own words aggressively with 4 different drugs. 1 antipsychotic 2xads mirtazapine and escatalpram and zopiclone. After 2 months after that I started getting better. It took 4months to get so the mornings were better. The one thing I would say is that the Mirtazapine helped me to get a longer deeper sleep the I had do e for years before being ill.

I'm still slowly coming down in dose of 30mgs at night.

The one thing I've learned about depression is that you can have removed any source of conflict or anxious cause and it is very physical not just mental.

16 Replies

Hi Derek I have also had 4 major episodes in the last 30 years - I am about the same age. I my own case I am bipolar although with a substantial dperessive element. I am never going to get better or well ie I have to treat myself with care for the rest of my life. I am not quite clear what you mean by "it is very physical not just mental".

Yesterday I met a verbal abuser of longstanding at my daycentre. When I got back home yesterday I slept for a couple of hours. I awoke from this to feel an intense depression.Tthen last night I slept for 10 hours. Again today this early evening I slept again for a couple of hours.I am sure that I had responded to this very unpleasant situation by increasing the amount of my sleep.

I agree for me the mortazapine helped so much when I was going through a horrid time. It helped me sleep, and it relieved my anxiety an some depression.

i would love to stay on this medication but it causes such very terrible leg and hip cramps. I don't care about the weight gain very much myself.

yes it is a wonderful medication!

i am however struggling to get off this medication which makes me so sick to try to go down in dosage. I don't regret going on it. It's just I didn't know it would be this difficult to go off from it. I wish it didn't have a side effect that I can't tolerate it any longer thank you for your post

Hi Rose I was on mirt for maybe 2 years - not on its own but with Lithium, in particular, therefore it is difficult to say which ws the main help. Anyway I am much better than when I came out of hospital 6 years ago. I was in hospital for 8 months so anyone can get better. I came off mirt about 6 weeks ago and within a week the backpain and cremp had stopped. I have a physio appointment in about 2 weeks which I hardly need now. The problems with urinating has stopped (I am not sure if this is only a male problem). That is why I headed another post "Miracle". Given my GP didn't pick up on this I am planning to change GPs.

As far as the weight problem is concerned I have been on a diet for about 8 weeks as suggested by my GP. I have lost between 7 and 10 lbs but I can't get it below 15 st. I realise that if I didn't keep n eye on my weight I would be putting it on.

I wish I had your psychiatrist, mine has had me on 15mg of mirtazapine daily, and nothing else at all.

I had to almost beg my gp for some valium to help me sleep as the mirt keeps me awake. I now take 15mg valium at night that sometimes gets me to sleep but more often than not I am awake for 4 nights and sleep for one.

my day is spent sitting in the kitchen staring out of the widow. I am very tearfull and have lost ALL motivation to do anything at all. my life is just an existance, the only thing i look forward to is going back to bed.

My psychiatrist said I have to make the effort myself to get up and do things, but I can't Im to depressed to do anything. I can see no future at all for me and like you I am 62, I am just waiting to die as there is nothing else to live for. any advice please.

Hi Roger I was in a position where you were 6 years ago. I can't help you with your meds. But you must get out and do things. Ask your care coordinator for local activities eg walks, activities put on by the MH Trust, local groups even the Depression Alliance, Bipolar UK (if relevant). Go swimming, join a gym, join a choir. I might add that these are all things that I do or I have done. This is bsed on the principle that rather than talking to get better, you will get better by keeping active - and particularly doing things that you used to enjoy - or you can find new things that you might find you enjoy.

Hi roger I know just how you feel I can really empathise with you.The only thing I can suggest is just going a little walk, saying hello to people along the way,visiting friends and family all make you feel a little better when you get home.I do realise it's an effort but you'd be surprised how uplifting it is.I myself have multiple illnesses which keep me in and bring me down,but I do try to get out as it does make me feel better even though it's an effort.PLEASE TRY. BIG HUG from Norma

I think that these are good ideas but I think that Roger needs to do something more active. I suspect that Roger might find it too hard to speak to people. I would suggest that he needs to do something more active.

I Beleive if Roger can chat on here he would be better off going out in the fresh air.Go to a park Roger and even if you just sit on a park bench for an hour and people watch I think it would help you feel better,you only have to chat with people if you wish.Do whatever you wish to do Roger but please don't sit in feeling miserable.Life is however you want it to be,if you wish to chat on here do so.

I was in your position 2 years ago. I lost all Motivation as well... No enjoyment in anything. I was even dreading phone calls from the local health group offering me help. I dreaded seeing even closest friends. Ignore people saying you will get better by being active.. You will get better by a combination of things which unfortunately cannot be predicted. I am and was before illness very fit and active.. However when I was ill it was like pushing against a brick wall... I did learn I have to gently push against it. I couldn't make any decisions even the most menial..

I remember the psychiatrist saying 'you will get better' . I only believed him because he had been ill himself also I knew I had got better before. Incidentally I was initially given an anti psychotic,which he said would help the other drugs work. Hang in there.. Every day is hell like no one else even here can imagine.. When you can ask for a stronger drug rescheme... You are worth it

It is a cliche, but don't sit there do something - it doesn't matter what, try anything and you will find something and the journey itself of self-discovery will help as well. You will find things that you never knew you culd do. Many years ago I learnt to draw (in hospital) and whilst I don't regularly do so if I am on holiday and I don't have anything to do I willpick up pen and paper.

One thing that helps me with depression is to take the focus off myself and put it on others. I have grand kids so I try and make them a priority. If you don't have kids or gramdkids find someone who is worse off or needs your help.

necause of the recession so many people have economic problems, so I try and get a bag or two of food together and take it to the food pantry. This makes me feel good about myself. It's small but it works. Sometimes I thought that no one had problems like I have problems , because that's what depression does to me. But I realize that life is a problem for everyone at some point has depression of some sort. They lose people they love and are broken hearted.

the best way I ever beat my depression was cleaning house for elderly women. Not only was it exercise..( for me the best relief for depression) but I also became friends with these women who had such a hard time getting out due to age...and it helped both of us. I wish I was younger and able because I would do it all over again.

i feel I'm an intelligent person but working at a job that entails sitting and thinking all day is not for me at all. It never worked because I just got stressed out to the max.

so, maybe you are unable to work right now, and I've been there too. You know gardening can be so wonderful to drive the blues away.

i know, it's difficult to take that first step because you feel so down and out and just want to go to sleep. At some points sleep was my only friend.

find someone who needs you......they are everywhere...life is difficult for everyone and although they won't tell you that right away give them a little while and they will tell you their story.

I live just a couple of minutes from Sainsburys so that I go there most days rather than doing a big shop. This gives me something to do and I see people rather than sitting in my flat. I volunteer visiting a 94-year-old man through AgeUK and visiting a carehome for people with dementia. I would say that focusing totally on people with serious problems, and then going home to a quiet home where you are then thinking about their problems, rather than your own.

I play in an orchestra and singing in a couple of choirs.

I have started a French conversation group which meets on a Sunday morning. I did go to a French class last year but there were all young lawyers and bankers, and it was a bit too much for me.

I go to Costas for an hour or so for a cup of coffee.

The orchestra and the choir I was going to before the last time I was ill. When I came out of hospital after 8 months they welcomed me back.

For me walking with a rambling group such as the Ramblers Assn which has local groups all over the country. The beauty of these groups is that noone is forced to talk - far from it, there are quite a few introverted who go! Walks are mostly on Saturday or a Sunday and they take up a whole day. I would highly recommend that.

Also go to a gym or go swimming.

I do some of these things at the moment but these are just to give you an idea of what you might do.

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